People’s Choice: Parwana is the best restaurant in SA

There are some fabulous restaurants on the delicious.100 list, but you told us loud and clear which one you loved the best. And here it is…

An unassuming Torrensville restaurant serving Afghan fare has been declared South Australia’s favourite, in the delicious.100 People’s Choice campaign.

Parwana Afghan Kitchen won a majority of the reader votes in the 2022 delicious.100 list of South Australia’s top 100 restaurants.

Farida and Zelmai Ayubi opened the doors to Parwana on Henley Beach Road in 2009, some 22 years after they migrated to Australia from war-torn Afghanistan with their four daughters (they had a fifth daughter in Adelaide).

Farida and Zelmai Ayubi celebrate Parwana Afghan Kitchen being voted as South Australia's favorite restaurant, winning the delicious.100 People's Choice campaign. Picture: Tom Huntley

Social media was in its infancy – Instagram didn’t even exist – however, news of Farida’s cooking spread fast. The restaurant received its first glowing review a mere month after opening and, more recently, one from the New York Times two years ago. In May this year, international food queen Nigella Lawson paid a visit to the establishment after receiving a copy of the Parwana cookbook, released in October 2020.

Durkhanai Ayubi – the family’s fourth daughter, who penned the book – said winning the People’s Choice title was “moving”.

“We have always felt very lucky to have the love of our community,” she said.
“It’s the key to what makes us feel encouraged, the key to our success. Our community has been alongside us these past 13 years.

“For us, it’s about sharing the passion for Afghan foods and deeper stories about Afghanistan that were never told. To see our community really take to it, and be a part of it, is an incredible feeling.”

The Ayubi family, which runs SA institution Parwana - Durkhanai Ayubi, Zelaikhah Ayubi and Fatema Ayubi (back) and Zahra Ayubi, Zelma Ayubi, Farida Ayubi and Raihanah Ayubi (front). Picture: Tom Huntley

Parwana’s popularity hasn’t waned over the years – its two dinner sittings, over Tues-Sun, are booked out in advance. Upon the most talked-about dishes are the banjaan borani (eggplant), mantu dumplings and Kabuli palaw (rice).

The delicious.100 People’s Choice campaign invited people to vote for their favourite restaurants, with the chance to win dinner at our delicious.100 top restaurant, Restaurant Botanic, up to the value of $2000. The winner will be drawn shortly.

People’s Choice runner-up was McLaren Vale restaurant, The Currant Shed, while South East Asian hot spot, The Little Rickshaw in Aldinga, came in third.